klinge



W. K'LINGE AUTOMATIC GRIPPING PIN. APPLICATIQN FILED ocT. 30. I916.

' 1,31 5,369, Patented Sept. 9, 1919.-

- Inventor" WILLIAM KLINGE, or ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC nIPrIiie-r iti.

mean.

Application filed October so. 1916. Serial No. 1284457 To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM KLINGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Alexandria, in the county of Alexandriaand State ofVirginia, have invented a new and useful Automatic Gripping-Pin, ofwhich the following is a specification.

An object of the present invention is to provide a safety gripping,pinning or supporting device which may be readily secured to any fabricor other soft material or to securely bind together separate pieces offabric, paper, or like material.

Another object of this invention is to provide a gripping or pinningdevice which Will effectively house or cover its securing prongs orhooks, so that the possibility of injury from these hooks will beobviated.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pinning orgripping device of generally improved structure, whereby the device willbe simple, durable, and inexpensive in construction, as well asconvenient, practical, serviceable and efficient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiments in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View showing the gripping prongs orhooks in their initial or inserting position.

- Fig. 3 is a similar view, but depicting the prongs in their grippingposition.

Fig. 4 is a rear View of the invention, a portion being shown insection.

Fig. 5 is a face view of an ornamented form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified form of the invention, having one ofits manipulating fingers terminating in a supporting hook.

Fig. 7 is another form of the invention in the manipulating fingers.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View "of the inven-.

tion, depicting it in use in connectionwith drapery. I i

In the accompanyingdrawings, 1 designates a supporting member or casinghavingdepending side and end flanges 1.

A transverse shaft or pintle 2 is] pivoted adjacent each end of thecasing 1 in the op posed side flanges 1 asindicated at 2. Each shaft 2has one or more radial arms extending therefrom, which are bent orturned sharply at 3, and from which points extend arcuate pinning orgripping prongs or hooks 4, that are concentric-to the transverse shafts2. A manipulating finger extends radially from eachshaft 2, and thesefingers extend through longitudinal slots 6 formed at the opposed endsof the face of the casing or supporting members 1. The manipulatingfingers are preferably. curved adjacent their outer endsand are adaptedto extendbeyond the opposed terminals ofthe casing 1, so that'they maybe readily gripped between the thumb and forefingerof the user.

In order to normally hold the outer or pointed ends of the prongs 4LWithin-the casmg 1, there are-provided helical torsion spr1ngs7,wh1chare mouiitedonthe shaft 2. Each spring 7 has one of its terminalsengaging or secured to one of the radial arms 3' while the opposedterminal engages or isse'cured to the casing 1.

In practical operation, when it is desired to secure the device to apiece of fabric or other soft material F or to secure together separatepieces of material, the user grips the manipulating fingers between histhumb and forefinger and moves them to the position shown in Fig. 2,which exposes the pointed ends of the prongs 4c. The device may now bereadily secured to the selected fabric by simply placing the easingagainst the material, which causes the pointed end of the prongs 4 topierce the material, and then releasing the manipulating fingers 5,thereby allowing the spring 7 to move the prongs a to their closedposition, as shown in Fig. 4:. It will be observed that in this positionthe pointed ends of the prongs are housed or incased by the casing 1, sothat the user or wearer could not be in- Fig. 6, a supporting hook8 isformed at the outer terminal of one of the manipulating fingers 5 inorder to support any small commercial article, price tag or the like.

Fig. 7 shows another form'of the device in which the opposed ends of thecasing 1 are rounded, and the outer terminal of one of the manipulatingfingers is turned upon itself as indicated at 10, to form a resilientclasp or holder 11. This form of the invention may be employed tosupport display cards of any preferred form.

Fig. 8 illustrates the device connecting two pieces of fabric F,therebyallowing the fabrics to be draped or arranged for store window or otherdisplay purposes.

From the foregoing, it is manifest that, the device may be employed forvarious pur poses, such as a window trimming pin, display card holder,fabric and garment support, or by properly ornamenting it, it may beemployed as an article of jewelry or personal ornament.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is.:-

1. An automatic grippingepin comprising a casing having depending sideand end flanges, the rear face of the casing being open. andlongitudinally disposed slots formed in the front face of the casing,transversely disposed shafts journaled within the casing adjacent thesaid slots, manipulating fingers rigidly secured to the said shafts andextending through the longitudinally disposed slots, spring-actuatedarcuate prongs supported by the said shafts and having their outer endspointed, said prongs being concentric with respect to the axes of theshafts and formed so that their pointed ends are positioned within thecasing when said prongs are in their gri ping position.

2. A device of the c ass described including a casing havinglongitudinal slots formed at the opposed ends thereof, transverse shaftspivotally secured in the casing adjacent the said slots, radial armsrigidly secured to the said shafts, arcuate pointed prongs extendingfrom the arms, said prongs being concentric with the shafts, a helicalspring mounted on each of the shafts and having one terminal engagingthe casing and the opposed terminal in engagement with one of the radialarms to normally hold the pointed ends of the prongs within the casing,manipulating fingers rigidly secured to the shafts and extendingradially therefrom through the longitudinal slots, thereby allowing thelongitudinal slots to limit the movement of the manipulating fingers,said fingers having their outer ends curved so that they may be readilygripped and held by the thumb and forefinger during the extreme movementof the said fingers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signa ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM KLINGE.

Witnesses:

J. Trros. Coon, A. S. ELBOURN.

Copies 01' this patent mav be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

